Horisont – Hard Rock/Prog Rock

From: Göteborg, SwedenGenre: Hard Rock/Prog Rock

It was back in 2006 when this Swedish 5-piece hit the underground rock scene, but it wasn’t until 2009 that their debut record Två Sidor Av Horisonten came out, showcasing a classic rock sound that hadn’t been heard since the late 70’s. Building on momentum as the years went by, via 2012’s Second Assault and then Time Warriors in 2013, we got the band’s finest and most polished effort in 2015 in the form of 12-track LP Odyssey. This was the one that made the biggest waves outside of the quintet’s home country since their inception and sparked an increased interest in their nostalgic and sonic modern-day throwbacks; flying the flag and doing for early metal/prog rock what The Darkness did for glam rock in the early 2000’s.

After 10 years together, it was announced back in May that the band had signed a worldwide deal with Century Music Records, opening new doors to an audience in anticipation of a fifth studio album; one which would come to be their most impressive collection of songs to date. The record, entitled About Time and engineered by Ola Ersfjord (Dead Lord, Honeymoon Disease), finally hit stores on Feb 3rd, coincidentally sitting in-between the last ever two Black Sabbath live shows (a band from whom the doomy blues and early metal laid foundation to the Horisont sound). Media outlets across the world are already giving its praise with 9/10 and 10/10 reviews in what some are calling a space concept album, although that could probabaly be said for all their albums too.

Kicking off with second single “The Hive” we get straight into exactly what the Swedish rockers are all about, in almost an homage to Deep Purple with its piercing vocals, chugging buildups, wild synth layerings, Machine Gun-era breakdowns and similarly kick-ass lead work.

Next up is “Electrical” – the first taste we got of the new album a couple of months back and a tune so pristine in its style, it admittedly gave some initial doubt as to if the rest of the record could really live up to its brilliance. No band of modern times has been able to nail down the tone and arrangement so prevalent during the heyday of proto metal and prog rock as well as Horisont on this album. Heck, just take a look at the studio photos of these guys… Axel Söderberg (vocals), Charles Van Loo (guitar), Magnus Delborg (bass), Pontus Jordan (drums) and new guitarist David Kalin even look like they just came straight out of a time machine! In the spirit of YES, Uriah Heep and UFO this spacey rock gem compliments the record so well and really sets the bar as we move on to “Without Warning”, bringing more of a Thin Lizzy groove and Saxon vibe to the table. Again we hear more synth and 80’s pop sensibilities to beef up the sound, adding that trademark spacey feel.

Not to forget their roots, we are treated to a native language track on the record by way of “Letare” as the vocals stamp emphasis on the “roll” in rock and roll – a precious element of Swedish rock that seemingly never fails to get the job done. As we breeze through another melodic and hooky Lizzy-inspired number “Night Line”, more synths and 70’s/80’s components make up “Point of No Return” and moreseo in the appropriately titled “Boston Gold”, as both take their groove and rhythm from the likes of Kansas and Boston.

A soft transition into “Hungry Love” encompasses a lot of Woodstock flavour; a stunning piece of work that brings together all the best parts of the album into one, whether it be the sharp vocals, flawless flow or GREAT synth solo towards the end. “Dark Sides” again channels Deep Purple in its prog rock perfection, topped with some really cool sonic synth effects sounding like something straight out of War of the Worlds.

10-tracks is the usual length of a Horisont record, so as it reaches its limit there is one more number in the equation, entitled “About Time”. This title-track, clocking in at just over 6 minutes, takes the energy down a notch and focuses on the atmospheric side of their output, this time in the vein of Blue Öyster Cult as the listener is drawn down to a settling crescendo.

We noted Horisont as a band to watch out for in 2017 and this LP has certainly given that some credibility in what could already be one of the albums of the year. A+ from start to finish and doing their musical style proud.

So… “Tack” to the band for another excellent record and please show your support by checking out the below links: